Deadline extended for contract signing on Santos–Guarujá tunnel project

Mota-Engil Latam Portugal S.A. has requested an additional 20 days from the State Government to sign the concession contract for the Santos–Guarujá immersed tunnel. The request was accepted and published in this Wednesday’s (3) edition of the State Official Gazette (DOE). With this extension, the contract with the State and the Federal Government must be signed by January 28, 2026.

According to the document obtained by A Tribuna, the future concessionaire is requesting additional time to establish the Special Purpose Entity (SPE), a company created exclusively to manage the project’s finances. Without signing the contract, the company cannot begin work or even set up the tunnel construction site.

Mota-Engil was officially declared the winner of the auction on November 7, when the approval of the Public-Private Partnership (PPP), published by the State Secretariat for Investment Partnerships (SPI) in the Official Gazette, confirmed the result. From that date, the 60-day deadline began for the company to sign the contract with the Government of São Paulo and the Federal Government — a period that would have ended on January 8, but has now been extended to January 28, 2026.

The Portuguese company won the auction held at B3 on September 5, offering a 0.5% discount on the maximum annual public payment of 438.3 million reais. The sponsored concession contract under the PPP model will run for 30 years, renewable for an equal period, and cover the construction, operation, and maintenance of the tunnel.

In an interview given at the time of the approval, the director of Artesp, Raquel Carneiro, explained that Mota-Engil would have 60 days to form the SPE and present the original investment plan, detailing the year-by-year construction schedule with the corresponding amounts. Once that stage is completed, the contract is signed.

The dry crossing is a joint project between the state and federal governments. Total investment is estimated at 6.8 billion reais, of which 5.1 billion reais will be public funds — split equally between the State and the Federal Government (2.55 billion reais each). The State must deposit its share or provide proof of financing on the contract signing date. For that, the SPE must be formed and the account opened. The Federal Government will have 60 days to deposit its portion; if it does not, the State will have an additional 40 days to cover the remaining amount or guarantee the financing. The federal contribution will be transferred through the Santos Port Authority (APS).

Once the funds are available, Mota-Engil will choose the area where the dry dock for assembling the concrete modules will be built. Six locations are being considered, including federal land in the Prainha neighborhood in Vicente de Carvalho, Guarujá. The tunnel outlet will be located in the area known as Linhão.

Module production is expected to begin in 2027, with the immersed structure scheduled for completion by 2030. Full delivery and the start of operations are planned for 2031. Cetesb has already issued the preliminary environmental license, allowing the project to advance to the subsequent phases. The analysis considered impacts on mangroves, fauna, flora, noise, and expropriations, imposing conditions to be met for the installation license.

The tunnel will feature 870 meters of submerged structure in the Santos Port channel, with three lanes in each direction, pedestrian and cycling paths, and a service gallery.

Source: A Tribuna

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